Closure
by gypsywriter135
Summary: An alternate ending to the 2007 movie.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so I finally got the courage to do this. I never really like the way that the 2007 movie ended. I always thought that there wasn't enough closure between Raph and Leo. And I always thought that after the fight on the rooftop, being drugged, and then being unconscious for a few hours, there was NO WAY that Leo was able to be that good in a fight. In my opinion, Leo should have been out for the count.

But that's just me. And so, since I am powerless to change it, I wrote an alternate ending :)

I also don't know what to title it, so for now, the title sticks. If anyone has any ideas, then let me know :)

On with the story!

Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. The beginning and the ending of this story are straight from the 2007 movie. I did NOT write them originally. I just borrowed them :)

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Raph, Don, Mikey, Master Splinter, April, and Casey turned around after the giant door blocked the onset of Foot ninja that were about to be right on top of them, cheering. Mikey and Casey high fived, and then did a little dance, while April slapped him on the side.

"Nice work, Jones," she said, smirking and walking away.

Casey ran a hand through his hair, smiling. "I have my moments," he replied, turning around as a gasp ran through the rest of the group.

"Whoa," Raph breathed.

"That must be the swirling vortex, to another world, I assume," Don said.

"Cool!" Mikey exclaimed. "I want one."

The three brothers ran to the many tube-like cages that surrounded the outside of the swirling vortex. Mikey hoisted himself up to peer through the caged window at the top of the tube.

"Leo? That you?" he asked, looking through the bars.

He screamed and jumped back as a gorilla-like creature roared in his face. "Sorry! Wrong cage!" the turtle yelped, scurrying away from the angry beast.

Raph glanced at his younger brother, then peered into the cage next the one Mikey had looked in. "Leo?"

Inside, the eldest turtle sat, eyes closed and breathing slow, completely unaware of what was going on around him.

"I got 'im!" he cried, looking over his shoulder at his friends and family.

"Out of the way, please!" Don said, running over and putting a device on the cage as soon as his brother jumped down and stood back. He hit three buttons on the side of the triangle-like gizmo and one in the middle, making them illuminate green for a few seconds, before blinking rapidly and then exploding, making a hole for them to grab their brother who was contained inside.

Raph hurried forward and leaned inside, putting an arm under his barely conscious brother's and pulled him up.

"Hey there, buddy. Come on, man. Here we go," Raph coaxed, bringing his elder brother out of the cage. He helped him stand up and released him, only to have the blue-banded turtle fall forward after a slight coughing fit. Raph caught him again, helping him keep his balance.

"Raph?" Leo asked, eyes glazed over.

"Right here, Leo," Raph said, still supporting him.

Leo opened his mouth to speak again, only to have another coughing fit. Don stepped forward, trusty duffel bag already open. He had a small pack of gauze and bandages ready. He motioned for Raph to gently help Leo sit, and then kneeled next to them.

"Okay, Leo," Don said. "Tell me what hurts."

Leo tried to focus on Don, but it seemed the elder turtle was having trouble seeing, as he looked at the spot between Don and Raph, eyes scrunched in confusion and concentration.

"My… arm… I think…" Leo mumbled.

Don looked worriedly at Leo, then his friends and family, who were staring at him. Mikey's eyes were wide, and their father was looking at him with a mixture of worry and hope. The same thing could be said for April and Casey.

"Which arm, Leo?" Don asked gently.

Leo looked like he was thinking hard on the question just asked. "Um… my left? And the back of my… neck…"

There was a loud scream and everyone, save for the confused Leonardo, turned their eyes upward as a large man came flying through the air and landed a few feet from where the turtles, rat, and humans were standing. He lay there, unmoving.

Don looked at the rest of his family. "You guys go check that out," he said. "I'll take care of Leo."

Raph nodded and stood up, going with everyone else to see what had happened.

As they all stood around the unmoving man, Don looked over Leo. He found a few small holes where he assumed a needle had been injected, and then on the back of his neck, he found a few more.

"Aw, bro," he whispered. "What did they do to you?"

"Donny?" Leo asked, dazed.

"I'm here, Leo," Don said soothingly.

A startled scream from the nearby group caught his attention and Don looked over. He saw that Winters had awoken, frightening his friends and family. He turned back to see that Leo was out again. Sighing, he set about dressing up his brother's wounds and patching him up.

"You're time is up, Winters," April said to the man.

"Miss O'Neil, I must have hit my head pretty hard. I'm seeing… giant turtles," Winter's said, looking at the sight before him.

"We know what you're up to, Winters. We know about the portal, and we think that's it time that you sent all these monsters home."

It was at that points that the Foot clan was were able to get the doors that were initially blocking their path, open. They flew in like a flock of buzzards on their prey, surrounding the people and creatures in the room.

"I couldn't agree with you more," Winters replied, looking April in the face. "It is time to put an end to this curse that I have brought upon myself, and this world. That is what this is about, Miss O'Neil: Penance. I must return all thirteen beasts, or our curse will continue, and that is a torment, I can no longer bear."

"Then you should be put out of your misery," a deep voice said. Everyone raised their heads and looked up to see the shadow of Aguila, along with the other three generals, approaching.

"Uh… Don? How's it going on with Leo over there?" Mikey asked, glancing quickly over his shoulder at his immediate older brother.

Don shook his head, looking at the scene before him. "Not so good," he replied. "I don't think he'll be waking up any time soon."

"The time has come to re-open the portal, and rain destruction upon the earth."

"Nothing will stand in our way, when we have an army at our command" Gato continued.

"My brothers, I-" Winters tried to reason, but he was cut off by Agulia.

"We are no brothers to you!"

"With one monster still free, the curse will never be broken!" Gato exclaimed.

"And we shall finish what we began all those years ago," Serpiente said. "And we will finally have our victory!"

Aguila looked over his shoulder at Karai. "Join us! Join us, Foot, Clan! Swear your allegiance to us, and no harm will befall you."

There was a pause in time as Karai thought for a minute, and then spoke. "The Foot ninja, is not without honour. We work for Winter's, not you." And then she gave a signal, and the Foot ninjas behind turned and ran out the way they had just come.

"Okay… what does that mean?" April asked, looking thoroughly confused.

"It means we are going to help you," Karai responded. "My ninja will find the last monster. And you will bring back here. Go with them; we will stay and fight with you. With one of your brother's down, you will need someone to fill in for him."

April nodded and followed them out. Casey stood there for a minute, registering what had happened. The he turned and followed his girlfriend out. "I get shotgun!" he cried.

Raph turned to his brother in purple as he took out his sais. "Don, get Leo somewhere safe, and then get back here!"

Don nodded and lifted his brother's arms up, dragging him over the side where he would be safely hidden in the shadows. Then, he returned quickly, aware that his brothers already had their weapons out.

"By the time they return, the portal will already be closed… with you inside it," Aguila threatened, aiming the last part at Winters. The man glared at his former "brother."

"Let's do this!" Mikey cried, and the three of them, along with Karai, lined up and each took a stone general, weapons twirling and aimed. Karai had a single sword.

"Hate to rain on your parade, pal, but we thought we'd even the odds!" Raph said, spinning his sais menacingly.

"We're going to enjoy this," Aquila said, smiling. And he and his brothers and sister drew their weapons and the fight began.

Winters made a move to intervene, but Master Splinter stopped him with his walking stick. "If you please," he said, and Winters looked at him. "They can defeat them. They have faith on their side."

"Let's hope so, because if not, Aquila will use the portal to draw forth an army of evil, and this world will be lost," he said, as a cage was sucked up, swirling, into the vortex before it disappeared inside it forever. He smiled at Splinter. "More beasts. Let's send them back where they belong!"

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Haha. We all know what happens next!

... Or do we? O.o

Reviews make happy authors :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, everyone! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day! I'm very excited, as I am currently sitting outside in lovely, warm, sunny weather as I update this story! :D So very happy, as it's the first nice day we've had since fall! And the fact that yesterday was St. Patrick's Day made everything so much better! I got very spirited and walked around campus wearing all my green things :)

Okay, enough of me babbling. Here's the next chapter. I apologize for how very short it is...

Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT, nor do I own basically anything in this chapter. I am only borrowing it for the sake of the this story.

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Mikey dodged as Serpiente aimed her sword at his head, and then retaliated by hitting her with his nun chucks. He moved to his left as she took another swipe at him, and was able to block it with his weapon.

Then he ducked as she aimed for his head, and moved to his right, then quickly to his left again. He raised his weapons and blocked another attack at his head.

"These guys really don't die," he said to himself. The risked a glance at his father and moved out of the way just in time. A stone sword was imbedded in the ground where he had been moments before.

"Sensei! Are you alright?!" Then he ducked again and scurried away, trying to get a few feet of distance between him and his adversary.

"We must do this more often!" Master Splinter cried, chuckling. He jumped up and kicked a bat-like creature back into the vortex. He landed and laughed, smiling. "I still got it!"

He jumped back as Serpiente aimed another slice at his head. He bounced off the wall and did a spin, then jumped forward and hit her with his nun chucks, which did absolutely no damage. He glanced at his brothers, to make sure they were okay.

Don seemed to be doing okay. He was facing Santino, and seemed to be doing okay. He jabbed at the bigger statue with the end of his bo, a feet safely away from his enemy. Then he hit him, and jumped as he avoided a swipe from the giant bludger-like hammer that the general was using as a weapon.

As Santino took a swipe, the force that he exerted into it caused him to twist his body, leaving his front open for attack. Don took the opportunity and raised his bo above his head, slamming the end of it on top of the general's foot.

"Temper, temper," he scolded, smirking. He jumped up, removing his stick from the foot as his opponent took another swing at him.

Seeing that this tactic wasn't working, Don changed plans. He gripped the end of his bo and began to hit Santino with the other end, staying safely away. He jumped up as the giant swung at his feet, twirled in mid-air, and hit the general on the shoulder, causing hardly any damage what-so-ever.

Meanwhile, Raph was having troubles of his own. Aguila was proving a bit more skilled than he had thought, and Raph was worried that the leader was going to try and get to Leo, so the turtle in red was trying to take him away from where Don had safely hidden Leo.

He was heading up the stairs as the leader took a swipe at his head, making him duck, and moving backwards up the stairs, jumping a few feet in the air as he did so. As Aguila raised his sword and brought it down over his head, Raph managed to block it. Aguila withdrew and jumped and spun, spinning his weapon and cutting the air where Raph had been seconds earlier. He hit the statue on the stair railing instead.

It continued like that for a while, all the while moving up the stairs, until they were fighting on the balcony that over-looked the vortex below.

"The thing about you immortal stone guys," Raph taunted, dodging another blow, "is you're immortal… and made of stone." He ducked. "I sound like Mikey!"

He felt his shell hit the wall of the balcony, and he ducked again.

"You fight well," Aguila said, aiming at Raph's head, which he quickly blocked, stealing a glance over the edge. "You should join us."

Raph pushed the man's weapon off him and went into a defensive stance. "No thanks. I'm good." He used his fingers to tell Aguila to bring it.

Aguila raised his weapon above his head and attacked, but Raph grabbed his wrist and flipped him over the edge of the balcony, jumping up onto it as he did so. He looked down, only to see Aguila look up at him. Raph rolled his eyes and jumped down to face his adversary once again.

In the mean time, Karai was having a shell of a time with Gato. She was blocking each attack by the cat-like stone general, who was using two swords. He jumped into the air and spun, using his swords like a helicopter. Karai skillfully blocked it and ducked as another attack quickly followed. Then, she did a back flip and landed gracefully on top of a glass case that was broken moments ago by a missed attack. She raised her sword over her head and brought it down, only to have it blocked by double swords. She quickly spun and hit the general, knocking him to the side. She jumped down, intending to attack him again, but he kicked out, hitting her in the gut. She flew backwards and hit the wall, but not before many weapons were imbedded into the pack on her back. She smirked and stood up, feeling glee as her opponent's eyes widened at the multiple weapons on her back.

It was only a matter of time before she found herself with her back against the wall, Raphael adjacent to her. She used the last of her newly acquired weapons and re-drew her own sword. Raph ducked as his Aquila aimed for his head.

"They had better hurry with that last monster," she said, blocking an attack and slicing the air near Gato's head.

"I'm sure Casey has got it all under control," Raph grunted, blocking an attack as well.

Karai nodded, but looked worried.

If that monster wasn't here soon, then they were in trouble…

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

This entire story was supposed to be a one-shot, but it just go soooo long, I had to split it up. And this chapter and the next one kinda go together, but I felt that it flowed nicer when split...

And sorry for how boring it was... the next chapter will start to deviate away from the original, I promise. But we just have to get there, and sometimes the journey to the destination is a long and tedious one...

Review?


	3. Chapter 3

Next chapter! :)

Here's where it starts to deviate from the movie, though a lot of the movie parts are still in there. The middle part and the ending are a little different, and then next chapter is where everything stops following the movie :)

But for now, I'll let you read.

Disclaimer: The TMNT still have yet to come into my possession...

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Mikey's "Cowabunga Carl" van sped down the street, turning sharply and almost running into the building on the other side, before it turned sharply again, repeating what had almost happened a few second before.

"Can't this piece of junk go any faster?!" Casey asked from the passenger seat.

"You wanna drive?" April asked, annoyed. She made another sharp turn.

"I would, as a matter of fact," Casey replied, nearly thrown on top of April as she took a turn to fast and skidded before straightening the van out.

Casey spared a glance behind them and quickly turned forward again, reaching over and grabbing the steering wheel to right the vehicle's path as the monster behind them slammed into the building on their right. It was a large, dinosaur-like creature, with a large, bony hump on it's back, and it kept tripping as it chased after the van in front of it.

"Come on, come on," Casey chanted quietly, pushing on the invisible gas pedal underneath the dashboard on the passenger side. He could only imagine what would happen if they didn't get there in time; both to him and April, as well as the turtles.

"Be okay…" he whispered, glancing at his girlfriend besides him and seeing the worry etched on her face as well, and he knew that she was feeling the same way he was.

They _had _to get there in time…

TMNT

As Master Splinter hit another creature back into the vertex, he looked over his shoulder at his fighting sons and Karai.

"Boys! We must finish this now!" he cried.

The turtles and Karai worked the stone generals to the edge of the vortex, where they landed one last blow to them before standing back a few feet. They glanced at each other and with a quick nod from Raph, jumped and kicked the generals backwards, where they fell into the vortex. They all landed gracefully.

But a sudden burst of energy from the vortex sent them flying backwards. They all landed on their backs a few yards away. They stood up quickly and cautiously approached the vortex, trying to peer over the edge without getting to close.

"So, did we win?" Mikey asked, craning his neck to look inside the vortex.

There was nothing for a moment, but then Aguila's arm, sword in hand, shot up, causing the three turtles and Karai to step back, startled.

Aguila walked out of the vortex, laughing, his siblings following him. "Foolish creatures," he chuckled. "We are immortals made of stone! Without the final monster to break our curse, we will never be stopped!"

Mikey and Don narrowed their eyes, and Raph growled in anger. Karai spun her sword menacingly.

But a sudden beeping sound drew the attention of all the creatures in the building to the door behind them.

The van that Mikey drove for his job burst through them.

"Special delivery!" Casey yelled out the window. He pulled down his mask as he did so.

The monster followed quickly behind, practically tearing the door off its hinges as it did so. But as April turned the van sharply, the monster didn't have enough grip on the hard, marble floor, and it slid into a glass case, heading right toward the turtles and Karai.

"My sons!" Master Splinter yelled, eyes wide with worry. He could only watch in horror as the monster slid quickly towards his sons, who seemed frozen by shock. Even Karai seemed immobilized. There was no way he could get to them.

Right as the monster was about to hit them, something rammed into the three turtles and Foot leader, pushing them out of the way. The monster hit the stone generals instead, pushing them into the vortex, along with the monster itself. The vortex swallowed them up, and everyone could hear the generals scream as their stone bodies were turned to flesh, and then as the curse placed upon them was lifted. The ground shook, and everyone turned to stare upwards, as the screams disappeared, along with the vortex itself, as the stars sucked up the light and trapped it within them for the next three thousand years. A few loose rocks fell from the ceiling, and then all was silent.

"So… do we win now?" Mikey asked, approaching the stone base of the former vortex that was now shattered, it's pieces like a puzzle before it's put together.

"Yeah I… I think we did…" Don said, running an expert eye over the ruins. "We won!"

"Alright!" Raph cheered. Mikey whooped, and him and Don body slammed each other, putting an arm around each other's shoulders when they were done. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Across the room, Casey pushed open the door to the van, where it was lying on its side after crashing into a pillar.

"Nice parallel parking," he grunted. "Next time," he pushed against the door, "I'm driving!" With one last push, the door came open. He slid down, helping April out when he was finally standing. When she was on her own two feet, he brought her into a passionate kiss.

"Typical. We do all the work, he gets all the thanks," Raph complained.

"Aw," Mikey cooed, standing in the background, hands on hips, and smiling. Casey and April broke away, blushing.

Karai hobbled over, one of her ninjas helping her to stand.

"You are every bit the warriors I was informed you were. You have passed. Savior your victory tonight. For soon, we will have further business together… the kinda that involves familiar faces from your past…"

"She doesn't mean…" Raph asked, letting that statement hang in there air. His brothers looked at him, then turned back to the woman in front of him.

Karai smiled, and then raised her arm up, throwing a smoke pellet down and disappearing behind it. Everyone coughed, swatting the smoke away from their faces.

"What is it with ninjas and smoke pellets?!" Casey complained.

Raph looked down, suddenly curious as to how they had gotten out of the way of the monster in time, The only thing he remembered was that he had felt something push him into his brothers and out of the way. As his eyes scanned the floor, they came across the form of his elder brother, struggling to raise himself from the cold, marble floor.

"Leo!" he exclaimed, claiming the attention of his family and friends. They all rushed forward, clamoring to help the eldest turtle up. Raph shooed them away.

"Let him breathe!" he growled, hoisting the blue-banded turtle up by the armpits. He turned a concerned eye to Leo. "Hey, bro. How you feeling?"

Leo coughed once, and then was able to stand up on his own, though his legs shook a bit. Raph stood close, ready to help him of he should fall.

"I'm okay," Leo said, standing up straight. He looked Raph in the eye. "Are you guys okay?"

Raph nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted as a loud laugh came from nearby. Everyone whipped around… well, everyone except for Leo, who Raph helped to turn around. Making sure he was able to stand without falling, Raph left his elder brother's side and approached Winters, who was sitting off to the side, laughing to himself.

"Winters?" he asked, walking cautiously up behind him.

"I'm never usually _that_ happy to be in pain," Mikey said.

"He's happy because he's mortal again, Mikey," Don exclaimed.

"April, I've had my eye on you for a long time," Winters said, standing and looking at the red-haired woman.

"I knew it!" Casey cried, and April elbowed him in the side, turning her attention back to her former employee.

"I've always known that you'd be the one to help me find my way home." He turned to the turtles and their father. "And thank you, brothers. You've made a very old man, very, very happy."

Mikey took his hand and scratched the back of his neck. "So… uh… What happens now?"

Winters turned toward the open door, where the morning light was just coming up over the horizon. Then, he turned his face to the sky, and he was engulfed in a bright light, which lifted him off the ground. Soon, his entire body was filled with the light, and his armor and body became a golden dust, which floated down from a bright orb, which disappeared quickly, leaving the golden dust behind.

"Okay… Just a little but creepy…" Mikey said, flicking some dust off his shoulder. Then he sneezed. "Oh, gross! I think he's in my… my nos… my nos… ACHOO!"

Everyone backed away from the youngest turtle. "Gross. Can someone give me a hankie? Ulh! Now he's in my mouth! Ulh! He tastes awful!"

Don laughed and rummaged through his duffel bag, looking for something to give Mikey. Raph turned to Leo, who still looked a little unsteady on his feet, but was still managing to stay standing up. He walked over, grabbing a pair of swords out if Casey's golf bag as he did so. Leo looked up as he approached.

"Hey, Raph…" he said, looking his younger brother in the eyes. "Thanks for saving me…"

Raph smiled. "You wouldn't need saving if it wasn't for me in the first place." He handed the swords to Leo, who looked at the briefly before taking it. "Ready to be our leader?"

Leo smiled. "Sure."

Master Splinter came up behind Raph then, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Let us go home," he said, all eyes turning to him. "It is time to rest, and savior our victory."

Everyone smiled. April and Casey turned to their friends. "We'll see you guys soon!" April said, and she and Casey left the building, hand in hand.

"Come, my sons," Splinter said. "Let us retreat to our lair. We need not be here when the police come by."

His sons nodded, and headed to the nearest manhole, Raph and Don helping Leo, who had begun to teeter on his feet. Eventually, Raph ended up picking up his older brother, who was soon asleep in arms.

By the time they made it home, they were all exhausted, the adrenaline from earlier having worn off. Mikey stumbled to his room, and Don sluggishly made his way to his own room next to Mikey's. Raph climbed the steps after wishing his father a "good night" and went to Leo's room, where he gently deposited the sleeping turtle on the neatly made bed in the corner. He pulled the sheets up around him, and looked down at Leo fondly, before retreating and closing the door, then heading to his own room, where he fell into his hammock. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

All was well, and for the first time in a long time, the Lair was silent, and its occupants were able to sleep soundlessly.

Everything was where it should be.

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

I'm thinking of getting rid of the whole, "Nightwatcher helmet" thing at the end of the movie...

Guess you'll have to wait to find out!! :) *evil laugh*

In the meantime... reviews make happy authors!


	4. Chapter 4

New chapter! :D

I'm still working on the rest of the chapters, and from what it looks like, there should be about six...

But that's irrelevant. Onward!

Disclaimer: Not mine... blah, blah, blah...

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

The next morning, Leo was the last to awaken. As soon as his feet hit the bottom step, Don came rushing up to him, and before he had time to register what was happening, Don had dragged him into his lab and shut the door.

Mikey laughed at the surprised, confused expression on his eldest brother's face. Raph looked up from the newspaper he was reading at the kitchen table.

"What's so funny?" he asked, raising an eye ridge at his younger brother.

"Leo just got blind-sided by Don," Mikey chuckled.

Raph continued to stare at him.

"Don wants to make sure that Leo's still okay after all that stuff was injected into his system," Mike explained. "He wanted to do it last night, but since Leo was out, and we were all so tired, he didn't get a chance."

Raph nodded, and went back to his paper, but looked up again as he heard Mikey enter the kitchen and sit down next to him. Mikey had a look on his face that was very serious.

"What did you think when he…" Mikey started, then stopped, trying to find the right words. "I mean… it just felt fighting without him…."

Raph nodded slowly. "I've never seen him so… out of it…" he replied. "It was just like he wasn't there, ya' know? Like, he was, but his mind wasn't."

Mikey didn't say anything, looking ahead, thoughtful. "I'm glad he's back," he said after a while. "I feel better knowing that he's not going to leave again."

Raph nodded. Don came into the kitchen at that moment. Two pairs of eyes turned questioningly to him. He smiled.

"I've given Leo a clean bill of health," he said. Raph visibly relaxed and Mikey grinned. "He's all set to go."

"Where is he?" Mikey asked, excited. He looked over Don's shoulder, trying to get a view of his elder brother.

"He's coming," Don said. "He's just putting his pads back on."

As soon as he said that, the turtle in question came into view, tightening the knot on the back of his bandana. He froze in the entryway to the kitchen as he realized that all eyes were on him. He hands dropped slowly to his sides as he looked at his staring brothers.

"Morning?" he said, eyes running over them. He looked confused.

Don and Raph looked away, but Mikey smiled.

"Morning, Leo!" he cried.

Leo smiled a small smile as he took his normal place at the table and reached for the box of cereal that was on the table. He poured himself a bowl and set the box down, but didn't take his hand off it. He looked at the amount of cereal he had poured himself for a moment, then brought the box back and poured about half of it back into the box. Then he reached for the milk and poured just a small amount into the bowl. As he picked up his spoon, he looked up, only to find that his brothers were watching him again.

"Can I… help you with something?" Leo asked, confused.

This time, Don was the only one not to look away. "What're you doing?" he asked.

Leo looked at him like he had grown two heads. "… eating…" he replied.

"Why'd you put cereal back in the box?" he asked.

Leo looked at the bowl in front of him, then at the box, and finally back at Don. "I didn't need to eat that much," he said, shrugging.

"But I've seen you eat a gallon of ice cream," Don pointed out. "And now you're eating barely half a bowl of cereal?"

Leo looked at Don. "Don…" he sighed.

"Are feeling okay?" Don cut him off, moving forward to feel his brother's forehead. He was worried; he had never seen _any_ of his brother's eat that little and he was concerned that he had missed something when he was checking over Leo a few minutes earlier. But when the green skin under his own hand felt the same temperature it was supposed to be, Don was thoroughly confused.

"Don," Leo said, smiling softly. He reached up and gently removed his brother's hand from his head. "I just don't eat that much anymore. It's no big deal."

"Leo, you aren't in the jungle anymore. You don't have to be careful with how much you eat," Don scolded, finally realizing what was going on. Leo was so used to rationing his food, after spending eighteen months in the jungle, he was still doing it when he was at home.

Leo stared at his younger brother for a long while, and then looked down, where he began eating his now soggy cereal. He refused to make eye contact with anyone, as Raph and Mikey were now staring between him and their other brother.

Don opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off when their father entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, my sons," he said using his usual greeting.

"Good morning, Sensei," the four of them chorused.

"Leonardo, I wish to speak with you privately," the rat said to his eldest son. Leo nodded and got up, put his bowl, with half his cereal still in it, and followed his father to the dojo, refusing to make eye contact with any of his brothers.

Don looked at his other brothers and shook his head.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered, sitting down at the table. "He's home now, he shouldn't still be acting like he's in the jungle."

For once, Raph was the voice of reason. "Give him time, Don," he said. "He just needs to get it all back together. He'll get there."

Don once again was cut off from giving a response as the gong that indicated morning practice rang through the lair. The three brothers groaned softly, but headed to the dojo all the same. When they got there, they saw Master Splinter in his normal spot, standing in the middle of the dojo, cane resting in front of him. Leo, however, was not in his usual place. The eldest turtle was in the corner, doing flips off the wall. There was a look of rage on his face, as well as a hint of embarrassment. Raph felt a small pang of sympathy. Leo never had to do flips. If he did, it was usually because he had done something _really_ bad… or really stupid that was normally reserved for the youngest of the four.

"We will begin by going through a few katas," their father stated. "Afterwards, we will spar."

The three turtles nodded and Master Splinter began their morning training.

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Oh, ho! Bet you'll never guess what happens next!


	5. Chapter 5

Yeah...

I totally forgot about updating... and was just about to turn in for the night, when I realized... I hadn't!

Anyways, here's the next chapter. I think I'm going to have one... maybe two more chapters after this? I don't know... Definitely one more...

Enough of my babbling. Thanks to all the reviews! You guys all rock! :D

Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine... blah blah blah...

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

"Good, Donatello, good. Michelangelo, keep focused."

Raph stood behind his father as he instructed Don and Mikey as they sparred on the mat in front of them. The turtle in red allowed his gaze to go to his other brother, who was still doing flips in the same corner. He had been doing them for the entire hour and a half that they had been practicing, and Raph could see that he was beginning to tire. Leo's flips, though still graceful, weren't nearly as high as they had been. He was landing a little more heavily on the mat after each one. And all through practice, Master Splinter had not once looked at his eldest son.

Raph's attention was brought back to the fight before him as Mikey yelped and lost his footing as Don crouched low and swept his feet out from under him. Mikey fell to the ground and made to roll out of the way, but Don's bo staff was quicker and the purple-banded turtle placed the end of the wooden weapon at his brother's neck. Mikey froze, both breathing heavily.

"A little sloppy, Donatello, but otherwise, nicely done," Master Splinter told his son. "Michelangelo, you could have easily avoided that if you would just learn to focus better and not let your mind wander."

Don and Mikey nodded then bowed.

"Raphael," their Sensei said. Raph stood and went to the middle of the mat, where he bowed, and then stood, waiting to see what would happen, as Don and Mikey walked off to stand behind their father. Raph saw Don and Mikey glance at Leo quickly.

"Leonardo," Master Splinter said, a little loud so that the other turtle could hear him over his flips.

Leo paused in his exercise and looked over at his father.

"You are finished with your flips. Come spar with Raphael now."

Leo let his gaze drift to his brother as he approached, then bowed to Master Splinter.

As the two turtles faced each other and bowed, Raph noted Leo's heavy breathing. He still had yet to say a word, as he had been silent throughout the entire time he had been doing flips. Raph twirled his sais expertly as Leo drew his katana, yet didn't raise them in either a defensive or offensive position.

"You may begin when you are ready," Master Splinter said. The room became silent, save for Leo's heavy breathes.

It was a while before either turtle did anything. Then, Raph made the first move.

He ducked low quickly, and then charged Leo, who met the onslaught readily, moving his swords with pin-like accuracy. He swept at the air, where Raph's head had been only moments before. Now he in the air, and he kicked out, catching Leo off guard, foot connecting with his plastron. The elder turtle flew backwards, but caught himself, twisting in the air and landing in a crouch on the floor.

Leo looked up at his brother, watching him for a sign of what he was going to do next, breathing deeply. Raph did the same, eyes following Leo as he suddenly stood and flipped into the air, moving forward at the same time. Raph stood up and watched as Leo landed a few feet in front of him and brought up a foot to kick him, which grabbed. Leo twisted in the air as he jumped up, making Raph release his grip and step back. He blocked an attack of Leo's swords with his sais.

Leo used the weight and force that he had on his hands to flip over backwards over Raph and land behind him. Raph turned around quickly and blocked the predicted attack, kicking up as he did so. Leo stepped back and Raph's foot met air. Leo used this opportunity to thrust his swords forward, but Raph jumped backwards, blocking it by crossing his sais in front of his chest. He then leapt forwards with his sais, but Leo brought up a sword to meet the other metal weapon, stepping backwards.

Raph raised both his arms and brought them down, Leo turning his swords sideways to catch them. Then he spun and lifted his swords, Raph easily blocking them. He was a little surprised when the other turtle, with super speed, broke the hold and turned his weapons sideways, locking the two metal objects together. Raph turned, releasing his wrists. As he spun, he kicked out, but Leo was faster and was able to dodge it. As Raph landed, Leo's swords came down with lightening speed. Raph caught it in his sais.

As Raph looked down briefly, he noticed that he had won the fight; the position that Leo's swords were in were the exact same position they were on the other night on the rooftop.

… Where the pressure had been too much for the swords and they had broken, because Leo didn't know how to get out of the hold.

Raph locked eyes with Leo, who glanced down at his swords…

And then was suddenly on the floor.

He blinked as the tip of Leo's sword rested gently on the crook of his neck. Leo was looking at him, face expressionless.

Raph's brain fought to try to remember what had happened. He had Leo in a locked position…

And with a flick of his wrists, he had released the hold and spun, kicking Raph in the chest and forcing him to the ground.

"Excellent, Leonardo," Master Splinter said.

Raph looked at his father out of the corner of his eye. Behind him, MIkey and Don were staring, mouths hanging open.

Leo nodded and sheathed his swords, breathing more heavily than before. He reached down a hand, offering to help Raph up.

Raph took it and his brother pulled him up. He looked, shocked, at Leo.

"Raphael."

Raph turned his attention to Master Splinter.

"You did very well as well, my student," he said. "If you had turned your wrists before Leonardo had turned his, you would have prevailed. You must be faster than your opponent at times."

Raph nodded, taking deep breaths.

Master Splinter looked at the obviously exhausted Leo. He was almost gasping for breath, sweat pouring down his body. He spit to the side, where a small bin sat for that purpose.

"We are done for the day," he told them. "There will be no evening practice. You may have the rest of the day for yourself."

There was a chorus of "yes, Sensei" as the old rat left the dojo.

"You okay, Leo?" Don asked, looking worriedly at his elder brother.

Leo swallowed thickly and nodded, taking the water bottle that Mikey offered him. He drank deeply, then smiled tiredly at his brothers, who were still looking at him. Mikey out of awe, Don out of worry, and Raph out of pure surprise and a hint of anger.

"Who wants the shower first?" he asked.

Mikey gave a small cry and raced out the door, Raph growling after him.

"I call it!" Mikey yelled over his shoulder.

"I'm older, I get it!" Raph chased after him.

Don chuckled and turned to Leo, who was moving to the meditation mats. He grabbed his favorite and lit a few candles, sitting down in the lotus position.

"Leo, you're going to meditate now?" he asked.

Leo looked at him and nodded. "Is that a problem?"

Don rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just… that was a really intense practice… don't you want to relax?"

Leo continued to look at Don, head tilted slightly to the side as he seemed to look inside his brother.

"Uh… never mind…" Don said softly. "Call you for lunch?"

Leo didn't say anything, but righted himself and closed his eyes, slowing his breathing.

"Leo?"

The turtle remained silent.

"Never mind," Don muttered. "I'll leave a sandwich out for you." He left his brother to his meditation and went into the living room. Mikey had obviously gotten the shower first, as Raph was sitting on the couch, moodily flipping through the channels on the T.V.

Don sat in the chair next to him.

"I get the shower after Mikey," Raph grunted at his brother.

Don nodded, remaining silent as he did so… waiting.

He didn't have to wait long.

"How the shell was he able to do that?!" Raph suddenly asked, grip on the remote tightening.

Don didn't say anything. Raph had told him about the fight on the rooftop. He had refused to mention anything to Mikey, though Don was sure that he had figured it out pretty quickly. And Leo had probably told Master Splinter by now.

"I mean… the other night! On the rooftop! And he…"

Raph growled as he heard the water shut off. Mikey came out a few minutes later, towel wrapped around his head and another one around his waist.

"Shower's free!" he called, walking into the living room.

Raph growled again and stood up, shoving his brother slightly as he walked past. Mikey opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and sat down where Raph had been moments before.

"What's his problem?" he asked Don, jutting a thumb in Raphael's direction.

Don shook his head. "He's angry that Leo was able to beat him in practice."

Mikey nodded and looked around. "Speaking of which, where is Leo?"

Don closed his eyes, clenching his jaw as he did so. Mikey could tell that he wasn't happy. "He's meditating."

Mikey was quiet for a long time, staring at the T.V. After a while, he looked at Don.

"Just like old times, huh?" he asked softly, smiling a little.

Don smiled softly back. "Guess so, Mikey. Guess so…"

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Yeah, so... The fight between Leo and Raph is basically the fight on the rooftop. I tried to copy almost every move they did... But I got tired at the end and put my own moves in, lol. But for the most part, it's basically all from the movie.

And as to the questions of why Leo was doing flips... YOU'LL FIND OUT NEXT CHAPTER!!!!!

MWHAHAHAHAHA!

Ahem. Review?


	6. Chapter 6

Mwuhahaha! Last chapter!

Though, I will have to admit, that it probably isn't what you are expecting...

But here it is! Enjoy!

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Raph was staring moodily at his bedroom wall.

He kept running the fight on the roof over in his head, analyzing every move, down to the point where he had come mere inches from plunging his sai into Leo's head. And then he compared it to the fight that Leo and he had a few days ago.

Leo never brought it up. Mikey kept trying to get him to talk about it, but Leo would just smile in that way he did and inconspicuously change the subject.

And still Raph couldn't figure out how he had done it. The lock he had on Leo's swords had been the same on the rooftop, yet he had known exactly how to get out of it in practice. There was no way he could have figured that maneuver out that quickly, especially when he was that out of it all night. Not even Don when he was fully focused could figure that out without a few days of training.

And speaking of training, Leo had almost passed out last night. Or, at least, that's what Don had said; but sometimes Don over-exaggerated on things a bit... And when Mikey had asked him about the flips he had done, Leo had waved him off.

"Just a little extra discipline," the older turtle had said.

"Like you _need_ more discipline," Raph had snorted.

Leo had given him one of those looks and then walked away. Later, when everyone had gone to bed, Raph overheard Don asking Master Splinter about it.

"Leonardo did not behave like a leader the other night," the old rat had told him. "It was just a little reminder."

The red-banded turtle sighed. He thought there was more that wasn't being said, and had been meaning to ask Leo about it for days now, among other things, but he just couldn't bring himself. Or, when he actually had the courage to confront his brother, Leo had other things to do.

It wasn't like Leo was avoiding him; that wasn't his style. It was more like he knew what Raph wanted to say, and was giving him time to work up to it.

Raph sighed again, getting up from his hammock. He moved to his door and stepped out.

It was late afternoon. Mikey was out doing his last "Cowabunga Carl" party and Don was finishing his last day as ITT-Tech Support. Master Splinter was watching his stories, as usual. That meant that Leo was in the dojo.

Raph made his way down the steps and over to the dojo door. He poked his head around and there was Leo, sitting on one of the meditation mats, eyes closed.

That was another thing that Raph had noticed. Leo spent a lot more time meditating than he had before. Before his training, Leo had done a lot of physical training, but now it was more meditation than anything. When he had brought it up to Don, the genius turtle had said that it wasn't something they probably had to worry about. Something about jet lag and time zone differences…

Raph shook his head slightly and knocked on the door. Leo opened an eye and focused on his brother.

"Raph," he acknowledged, closing his eye.

"Hey, Leo," Raph said hesitantly. "Can I, uh… talk to ya'?"

This time Leo opened both eyes and looked calmly at him. Raph took it as an invitation and walked over to his brother, sitting down next to him. Leo watched his every move, saying nothing. He waited for Raph to speak.

"Look, Leo…" Raph started, insure about how to begin. "I, uh… I've been thinking about our practice a few days ago… and the one on the roof the night before…"

Leo remained silent, eyes seeming to bore into Raph.

"… You knew how to get out of that lock," Raph said quietly. "And what I can't figure out is why you didn't do it on the roof. I mean, you could have won, but instead I almost killed you!"

Leo remained unmoved.

Raph was growing impatient. "Damnit, Leo! Tell me why you did it?! I could have killed you!"

Leo still remained quiet.

Raph growled and stood up. "You know what, never mind. I don't what I was thinking! You can just go back to your meditating!"

He stormed to the door, but was stopped as a soft voice floated to his ears.

"One does not let emotions of the mind get in the way of protection."

Raph stopped, hand on the doorway. He turned his head and looked at his brother. Leo was in the same spot, looking at him. He had come out of the lotus position and was now just sitting cross-legged on the mat. His hands were folded neatly in his lap.

"What?"

Leo smiled a small smile at him. "You were angry. And I knew you weren't going to do anything rash. You may be hot-headed, but you catch yourself before you go too far."

Raph gaped at him.

Leo's smile widened a little.

"So… you're saying that you _let_ me do that?" Raph asked.

Leo's smile never wavered. " '_Let_' is a strong word, Raphael…"

Raph ran a hand over his face, trying to control the anger that was flooding his system. When he looked back at his brother, Leo's smile had vanished and he was watching him, a little look of worry on his face.

"You okay?" he asked.

Raph shook his head slightly. Leo patted the spot next to him and Raph sighed, walking over and taking the offered place.

"I almost killed you…" Raph whispered, not looking at Leo. "I mean… I really wanted to kill you. And then when Winter's Generals attacked you… you were defenseless…"

"I wasn't defenseless, Raph…"

"Then why'd they take you?!"

Leo sighed. "I wasn't paying attention… Same thing would have happened if the roles were reversed."

Raph shook his head. "I'm not so sure…"

Leo snorted. "Better me than you."

There was silence as Raph thought about it. He snapped his head up and looked at Leo, who was staring straight ahead, eyes narrowed in thought. His hands were resting in his lap, but no longer folded.

"You knew," he breathed.

Leo didn't say anything, and after a moment, he glanced at his brother. "Sorry, what?"

"You knew the Generals were waiting on the next roof over…" Raph said.

Leo's silence said everything.

"How did you know?"

Leo was silent for a little longer. "When I was chasing you, I saw them out of the corner of my eye. They were following us, and then we stopped, they were waiting until something like that happened. When you got me in that hold, I knew what would happen if I lost. They would take me and leave you alone…"

"You sacrificed yourself… for me?" Raph whispered almost inaudibly.

"I wouldn't put it that way," Leo replied.

"But… after the way I had treated you…"

"Raphael."

Raph looked at his brother, who was gazing at him with a hard look on his face.

"Nothing was your fault. I only said the things I said because I was trying to get you to attack me. That way, the Generals would take me and leave you. And before that, I had been a pain in the shell anyways. Just think of it as me provoking you. You did nothing wrong. You said nothing wrong. It was all on me."

Raph stared at Leo, who stared back, just as hard. Neither moved for a minute.

"I'm still sorry," Raph finally said.

Leo sighed and rolled his eyes. "If it helps, I forgive you. Even though you did nothing wrong."

Raph laughed a little.

"So, wanna teach me how ya' got outta that hold?" he asked.

Leo chuckled. "Only if you lay off Mikey for a few days," he said with a smile.

Raph rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault that he's a nitwit." He stood up and offered a hand to help his brother up. Leo took and they stood facing each other.

"Yeah, well," Leo snickered. "He's _your_ nitwit brother."

"Yours too, Fearless," Raph said. "Yours too."

Leo smiled as the two of them drew their weapons. Raph smiled as well, twirling his sais in his hands.

Sure, Leo might have changed a little in the time he was gone; he was more mature but, no matter what Don said about his appetite, he was still the same big brother he had always been.

And Raph wouldn't have it any other way.

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Yeah, sappy ending, I know. But I couldn't resist.

And I took out the part with Mikey and the Nightwatcher's helmet... It just didn't seem to fit in my version...

But I do like the way it turned out. Let me know what you think! :D


End file.
